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Compete Releases Search Market Share for August 2010

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - September 28, 2010) - Compete, a Kantar Media company, today released its search market share data for August 2010 based on data from the company's panel of more than two million US-based internet users. Compete's August Search Market Share Report includes a final examination of Google before the release of its game-changing Google Instant.

Search query volume across the five engines increased 2.1 percent from July to AugustMicrosoft's Bing experienced the highest increase in query volume at 20 percent. Google was the only engine to feel an M-O-M query volume decrease, a minor decline of 1.8 percent. Google also stood out as the only search engine enjoying an increase in paid queries with a 1.1 percent M-O-M lift.

Yahoo! and Microsoft joined forces to form Bing Powered Search, which now represents more than a quarter of the search market with a combined share of 26 percent. Bing's own share continued to rise (+1.8 percent from July to August), narrowing Yahoo's lead on Bing.

Compete's recently introduced set of metrics -- number of unique searchers per engine and number of searches per searcher -- will become increasingly relevant as the collective search industry closely watches how Google Instant will affect the search landscape. The number of unique individuals searching on an engine directly reflects that engine's reach, while the average number of searches per person indicates how engaged users are with a particular engine.

Although Google experienced a 3.1 percent drop in the number of unique individuals using its search engine, the average number of queries per Google searcher made a 1.3 percent M-O-M increase. These figures will influence upcoming assessments of the impact of Google Instant on consumer usage.

Yahoo! felt an M-O-M increase of 6 percent after adopting Bing's organic search technology. Bing was also trending up, in both its reach -- the number of unique searchers -- as well as its stickiness -- the number of searches per person.

As Google Instant continues its rollout and the awareness of Yahoo's Bing-powered technology spreads, Compete will not only monitor search volume and share for each of the major engines, but will also reveal the levels to which consumers turn to and use each engine in the coming months.

About CompeteCompete, a Kantar Media company, helps the world's top brands improve their marketing based on the online behavior of millions of consumers. Leading advertisers, agencies and publishers rely on Compete's products and services to create engaging online experiences and highly profitable advertising campaigns. Compete's online panel -- the largest in the industry -- makes the web as ingrained in marketing as it is in people's lives. Compete is located in Boston, MA, with offices throughout the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.compete.com/.

About Kantar Media
Established in more than 50 countries, Kantar Media helps clients master the world's multimedia momentum through analysis of print, radio, TV, internet, cinema, mobile, social media, and outdoor worldwide. Kantar Media offers a full range of media insights and audience measurement services through its global business sectors -- Intelligence, Audiences, TGI and Custom. Kantar Media companies also include Compete, Cymfony and SRDS. Drawing upon the deepest expertise in the industry, Kantar Media tracks more than 3 million brands and delivers insight to more than 22,000 customers worldwide.www.KantarMediaNA.com